The Minnesota Vikings went through a pretty rapid shift this offseason. They saw some major success behind Sam Darnold in 2024, and many felt that might push them to stick with the quarterback in 2025 when he entered free agency.
Instead, they decided to stick with their long term plan by keeping J.J. McCarthy in the running to be their starter in 2025 and letting Darnold walk for a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. McCarthy was drafted with the intent of having him compete for that role in 2024, but he tore his meniscus prior to the season beginning.
Enter the Detroit Lions. They have basically no major turnover to speak of from 2024 to this year, and they added some reinforcements to their trenches and defense through free agency and the draft. D.J. Reed now haunts their secondary, while Tate Ratledge will add guard depth to the line protecting Jared Goff.
With the release of the schedule for all 32 teams on Wednesday night, it seems like the Lions are primed to hand McCarthy a vintage welcome to the NFL moment as they'll be coming off a BYE week to face off with him and the Vikings at Ford Field.
Lions set to face Vikings off refreshing BYE week
In terms of divisional rivalries this season, the Vikings aren't exactly atop the Lions' list of games to watch. The Chicago Bears definitely take the cake there considering Ben Johnson is now their head coach, and the Green Bay Packers will forever be a thorn in their side.
But, Minnesota still has a shot at competing for the division with the playmakers they have on their squad helping McCarthy out. The only issue is that the Lions will be coming off a week of rest when they face off with the Vikings and home, and the Vikings will be coming off a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football when they travel to Ford Field.
Back to back road games on a short schedule compared to a week of rest for Detroit does not bode well for the Vikings. It should be a fun divisional battle to test McCarthy's resilience so early in the season, but Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions' defense has a chance to given him a true welcoming gift in this game.
